February 11, 2025 | Scientific Reports |
Researchers from Assosa University, Ethiopia, conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of combining plant extracts with hot water treatments (HWT) in managing postharvest anthracnose disease in mango, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Mango anthracnose is a major postharvest disease that leads to significant losses in mango production and quality worldwide.
The study involved in vitro testing of acetone, ethyl acetate, hexane, and methanol extracts from nine medicinal plant species using the food poisoning technique to assess their antifungal activity. Among these, Ruta chalepensis extract demonstrated the highest inhibition of fungal mycelial growth (over 85%), followed by Allium sativum extract (80%).
Further evaluations combined aqueous extracts from three effective plant species with hot water treatments at 50 °C and 55 °C. These combined treatments significantly reduced anthracnose severity on mango fruit (p < 0.05). The most notable reduction was observed with R. chalepensis and A. sativum extracts combined with HWT. Additionally, these treatments improved fruit marketability and maintained key postharvest quality attributes, such as weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and titratable acidity (TA).
The findings suggest that combining plant extracts with HWT offers an effective and practical approach to controlling postharvest anthracnose in mango without compromising fruit quality.
